Providing Specified Accommodation in Brent

Specified accommodation is a term used in Housing Benefit rules to describe certain types of supported housing for people with care, support, or supervision needs. 

To qualify, the accommodation must meet specific criteria and fall into one of four categories: Exempt Accommodation, Managed Property, Domestic Violence Refuge, or Local Authority Hostel.

Each category has different requirements for who provides the housing, the type of support offered, and how Housing Benefit is assessed.

Types of Specified Accommodation

Supported accommodation plays a vital role in housing vulnerable individuals, and the number of providers has increased significantly in recent years.

If you are interested in providing Specified Accommodation in Brent, it is essential that your organisation meets the council’s quality and compliance standards from the outset. All new providers must demonstrate they meet these requirements before accepting tenants, and all approved providers are subject to an annual review.

What we expect from providers

To deliver supported accommodation in Brent, your organisation must commit to the following core principles:

• Good quality accommodation: Properties must be safe, decent, and regularly maintained to ensure a suitable living environment for residents.
• Personalised care and support: Every resident must have a clear, tailored plan setting out their care, support or supervision needs, which is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains relevant and effective.
• Genuine support need: SEA must only be provided to people who genuinely require care, support or supervision to sustain their tenancy.
• Financial sustainability: Providers must operate on a not-for-profit basis and show they are financially stable and able to continue offering appropriate accommodation and support.
• Clear pathways to independence: Where possible, support plans should include steps to help residents move on from supported accommodation and live independently. Some residents may require long-term supported accommodation – in those cases, their support plans should reflect their ongoing needs.
• Fair and reasonable costs: Charges for rent, service provision and intensive housing management must be justifiable and in line with Housing Benefit regulations.
• Affordability and value: Providers must recognise the financial pressures facing local government and work with the council to ensure provision remains sustainable and proportionate.

By meeting these standards, we can make sure that supported accommodation in Brent continues to meet the needs of vulnerable residents, offers good value for money, and prevents unsuitable, low-quality, or excessively costly provision from operating in the borough.

We welcome expressions of interest from eligible organisations committed to delivering high-quality supported housing. 

To ensure quality and appropriate use of public funds, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has set strict criteria for accommodation to be recognised as Supported Exempt Accommodation (SEA) for Housing Benefit purposes.

Providers must be a not-for-profit organisation, such as:

• Housing associations
• Registered charities
• Voluntary organisations
• Community Interest Companies (CICs)
• Local authorities (for Category D only)

As the landlord, you must have a legal interest in the property concerned whether this be ownership or lease. You must also provide or arrange for care, support or supervision of your tenants, which is more than an ordinary landlord would provide. This can be provided either directly or through a third party.

If you are a new landlord or an existing provider looking to offer a new Supported Accommodation scheme in Brent, you must follow the Council’s onboarding process to ensure your provision meets the required standards.

Once you are a recognised provider of Supported Exempt Accommodation, you can receive enhanced Housing Benefit rates, direct payments, and contribute meaningfully to meeting local housing needs.

Costs Housing Benefit can cover

When assessing Housing Benefit claims for supported accommodation, we look at three main types of charges that may be eligible for funding:

Each of these charges must be clearly broken down and justified when applying for Housing Benefit.

All charges will be reviewed to determine if they are reasonable before they are included in the rental amount for the purposes of Housing Benefit.

It is your tenants responsibility to claim Housing Benefit. However, your involvement is crucial to ensure the claim is assessed quickly and correctly.

What you can do

Housing Benefit will only be awarded to cover charges that are eligible, reasonable, and linked to the provision of adequate accommodation.

• Support your tenant: You can help them complete their application and gather the necessary evidence.
• Submit key documents: You’ll need to provide details like:
  • A breakdown of rent and service charges
  • Evidence of care or support being provided
  • Articles of Association (if you're a CIC or voluntary organisation)
  • Head lease agreements (if applicable)
• Request direct payments: If the tenant agrees, you can ask for Housing Benefit to be paid directly to you.
• Maintain good communication: We may contact you for additional evidence or to review ongoing claims, so having accurate records is essential.

Clear and detailed evidence helps prevent delays or reductions in payment.

If a tenant’s Housing Benefit claim is rejected or the amount awarded is less than expected, the Council will send a decision letter to the claimant. This letter explains the reasons for the decision and the information used to reach it.

If the tenant believes the decision is incorrect:

If you're already offering Supported or Specified Accommodation in Brent, it's important to know that the Council regularly reviews both the quality of your housing and the support you provide.

What to expect

• Regular audits are carried out for each provider and their properties. These look at the standard of the accommodation, the level of support offered, and whether the services meet the needs of the tenants.
• We aim to support good-quality providers, recognising the essential role you play in housing vulnerable residents.
• We will also take action where accommodation is not up to standard, where support is lacking, or where costs seem excessive or unnecessary.

Why reviews are important

• The Housing Benefit Team regularly checks claims to make sure the information provided by tenants and landlords remains accurate.
• For tenants in supported accommodation, this may include a review of:
  • the tenant’s ongoing support needs
  • how support is being delivered
  • whether that support is still appropriate or has changed

Promoting good practice

Providers who demonstrate good-quality housing and effective, appropriate support will be shared across council services as examples of best practice. This helps ensure that Brent continues to offer safe, supportive, and well-managed accommodation to those who need it most.

Brent Council’s approach to approving and monitoring Supported Exempt Accommodation (SEA) providers is aligned with the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023, which came into effect on 29 August 2023.

This legislation introduced national standards for support services and strengthened local authority powers to ensure supported accommodation is safe, suitable, and good value for money.

Under the Act:

• Local authorities must review supported housing in their areas and develop local strategies
• A national expert advisory panel will provide guidance on best practice
• National support standards may be introduced
• Local authorities may set up local licensing schemes for exempt accommodation
• A new planning use class may be created for this type of housing

This legal framework supports Brent’s commitment to ensuring all SEA providers deliver high-quality, personalised, and sustainable housing and support for residents.